1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to aircraft products and in particular to a method and apparatus for manufacturing aircraft products. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing and attaching wing fairings.
2. Background
Aerodynamics involves the shaping of objects that affect the flow of air, liquid, or gas. Aerodynamics is important in a number of areas, including, for example, aerospace engineering and automotive engineering. With respect to aircraft, the aerodynamics of various surfaces, such as, for example, wings, landing gear, engines, and a fuselage are important for reducing drag and increasing engine efficiency.
An example of one aerodynamic structure used to produce a smooth outline and reduce drag on an aircraft is a fairing. A fairing may be, for example, a lightweight shape and cover for gaps and spaces for different parts of an aircraft. Alternatively, a fairing may be used to re-contour a surface for better performance. Fairings also may be used in other vehicles, such as, for example, an automobile, a spacecraft, or a submarine.
With respect to aircraft, design changes may improve the performance of an aircraft. For example, a wing design for an aircraft may change over time as further development and testing occurs. A change in the surface of a wing may increase high gas speed cruise performance, such as lower fuel burn. Another performance increase may be, for example, an increase in the top speed of the aircraft. These types of changes may be propagated to current production of the aircraft.
Older aircraft of the same type or model, already in service, may be modified or retrofitted to implement these design changes. A drastic change to modify retrofit is to replace the wing for an aircraft. A less drastic change involves modifying the current shape of the wing. For example, a wing fairing may be attached to an upper surface of an aircraft wing to improve the performance of the aircraft. Older aircraft, however, may require complex and expensive retrofits, even with this less drastic modification. In some cases, the complexity and the costs of making the modifications to add a fairing may be prohibitive. As a result, older versions of the same aircraft may have a lower fuel efficiency as compared to newer production of the same model.